Senate Condemned the Brutality of Police against anti-Buhari Protesters

In a statement issued by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate declared that while it did not support the subject of the protest which was directed at forcing President Buhari to either terminate his medical vacation or resign, it would however condemn the violation of the fundamental human rights of the protesters.
A coalition of Civil Society and pro-democracy group under the aegis of #OurMumuDonDo, had, for three consecutive days, staged a peaceful protest in Abuja, demanding that President Buhari either resumes back to office or resigns, after spending over 90 days in London for medical treatment.
On the second day of the protest, some security agents had brutalised some of the protesters and the journalists who covered the event.

The Senate thus condemned the action of the Nigeria Police in using force to disperse the protesters in Abuja who had campaigned against the indefinite medical vacation of President Muhammadu Buhari in London.

In the statement, the Senate said, “While we are opposed to the subject of the protest, the Senate acknowledges the fact that the protesters have the constitutional right to gather and express their views in a manner that will not breach public peace, order and tranquility. Since the ‘Our-Mumu-Don-Do’ protesters did not conduct themselves in such a manner as to disturb public peace, it is not right for the police to brutalize the people as they reportedly did.

“The police should review their rules of engagement and ensure that they are in line with that of modern democratic societies. The rights of the people should not be violated by the police employed to protect these rights. Where the Police suspect that hoodlums are trying to hijack the protest, it is the duty of the Police to apprehend the hoodlums and those who break the law rather than generalise and thus brutalize innocent protesters.

“We however urge the organizers of the protest to join other Nigerians in praying for the safe return of President Buhari. They should note that any mortal being can find himself in the situation where one needs medical attention and more time to fully recuperate. More so, when in the present case, the President complied with the provisions of the Constitution and all organs of government are not impaired nor hindered by his medical vacation,” Abdullahi stated.